I really think these reports from Paul McKellips, US Department of State, Public Affairs GO Team on assignment in Iraq, are fascinating. It’s helping provide a behind the scenes look at agriculture in a country where we’re getting almost nothing but political spin news from the mainstream press. This story is about the revival of the date palm farm business in Iraq.
The date palm tree has long been the cherished symbol of Iraq. Dates are the second largest export after oil. During the 1950s, Iraq’s palm orchards produced more than 600 varieties of dates and, by some estimates, accounted for nearly 80% of the world’s supply. During the country’s golden era there were more than 30 million fruit producing trees. But wars, neglect, improper drainage, and the scurvy of the dreaded Dobas bug left the industry in shambles. Particularly hard hit was southern Iraq where 16 million date palm trees were cut down, burned and transformed into battlefields during the Iran-Iraq was in the 1980s.
You can listen to his report about what’s being done to revive these farms here: 
Iraq Date Palm Farms (4 min MP3)
There’s Joy At The Pork Board
She’s too new to have a picture available yet in case you’re wondering. She’s Joy Johnson who has joined the National Pork Board as vice president of marketing.
She brings more than 17 years of marketing experience, serving most recently as vice president of market strategy for Osborn and Barr Communications, one of agriculture’s largest marketing agencies, and also was head of their Des Moines office. Johnson’s responsibilities will be focused on domestic marketing. She will manage the National Pork Board demand enhancement staff, which promotes pork to a wide variety of audiences through market and consumer trend research, the Don’t be blah campaign, the work of the Pork Information Bureau and activities in the retail, foodservice, niche and culinary markets.
I am Addicted to Cheese Too
Thanks to my man Leon The Milkman, I found Nadia the Cheesaholic. Nadia Muna Gil has an excellent blog on cheese and she’s got a very interesting personal story. Here’s an excerpt:
Nadia lives and works in New York, but travels frequently to California, London and other locations to teach people about artisan cheeses. She believes that there is a cheese for everyone, and that it is a matter of falling in love once and getting hooked. This is one addiction you can feed!
I must confess too Nadia. I am a cheesaholic. I ate two different kinds for lunch today and a broccoli cheese soup for supper.
Beef Checkoff Turning 20
Jo Ann Smith is one of my favorite people. Boy does seeing this picture make me miss Florida. Jo Ann was the first Chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board back in 1986. It’s been twenty years. My how time flies when you’re eating beef. The CBB is a client for ZimmComm as I think most of you know. The Beef Checkoff holds a very special place in Cindy and my hearts because of that and because back when we were partnered with Gary Cooper in our first business venture the Florida Beef Council was one of our first clients. Florida had one of the highest approval ratings for the original Checkoff referendums in the country.
The CBB just sent out a great multi-media kit (CD) which is why I’m posting this. It’s the 20th anniversary and there’s some great stuff on here. I’ll be sharing it with you over time. Now back to Jo Ann. The CD came with some sound bites that you might want to hear. If you listen close you’ll hear the crickets and cows in the background. I’m assuming the interview was taped in Wacahoota. Ever been there?
Before the beef checkoff got off the ground 20 years ago, leaders were doing their homework on the ingredients needed for a successful checkoff program. Jo Ann Smith, who served as first chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board from 1986 to 1988, says a lot of valuable research came from other commodity programs. Jo Ann Smith Cut 1 (MP3)
Producers had specific requirements on how they wanted their checkoff to operate. Jo Ann Smith Cut 2 (MP3)
Smith says producers also had expectations about the efforts their money would buy. Jo Ann Smith Cut 3 (MP3)
The beef checkoff earns a passing grade over the years in Smith’s book. Jo Ann Smith Cut 4 (MP3)
Smith’s son, Marty, now operates the family’s cattle business in North Central Florida.
Truffle Media Networks Launched
There’s a new “new media” company in the biz and it’s Truffle Media Networks. The company has just launched officially. Truffle Media is based in Indiana and headed up by former farm broadcaster, Ned Arthur.
I interviewed Ned via Skype this morning. You’ll be able to hear our conversation on next week’s ZimmCast so this is just to tease you. In it you’ll learn more about why us former traditional media guys have made the bold move into the new media world. In the meantime you can listen to one of Truffle’s regular podcasts. There’s the Swinecast or the Poultrycast. Both are currently sponsored by Elanco Animal Health.
SRA Handling MarComm For Land O’Lakes Purina Mills
Swanson Russell Associates will be providing communications and marketing services for the swine division of Land O’Lakes Purina Mills.
With its combined assets, Land O’Lakes Purina Mills has 75 feed mills, making it the largest feed company in the country. The swine division’s feed programs provide swine producers with research-proven, quality feeds that make it a leader in swine feed production technology. SRA will provide Land O’Lakes Purina Mills with marketing communications services for both brands of swine feeds, including literature and brand development.
UglyRipe Tomato Fight
That’s definitely an UglyRipe tomato in case you’re wondering. Apparently consumers like it but the Florida Tomato Committee doesn’t.
The overwhelming majority of comments submitted to the Agricultural Marketing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) support the department’s proposed rule change to grant a partial exemption to the Minimum Grade Requirements for the UglyRipe(TM) tomato, a perennial consumer favorite. The UglyRipe tomato is an heirloom beefsteak variety tomato developed over decades with over $3 million in research funding by Procacci Brothers Sales Corporation. While consumers love the flavor of the variety, its characteristic ridges and crevices prevent it from meeting the shape standards of a typical Florida Round variety.
The Florida Tomato Committee (FTC), a group of competing growers sanctioned by federal law dating to the 1950’s that sets all size and shape standards for tomatoes entering the U.S. market from mid-October to mid-June claimed the UglyRipe was too misshapen and would damage the reputation of the Florida marketplace.
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MGEX Podcasting Monthly Commentary
The Minneapolis Grain Exchange has just started podcasting. Here’s a great example of a way to use this new media tool.
They’ve been doing a monthly USDA Crop Report Commentary which we began recording for them last month and uploading immediately to their web server so that it could be listened to from a link on their homepage. This month we helped them take it one step further. Now you can subscribe to the program using this link: MGEX USDA Crop Report Commentary (xml file). You’ll want to use your iTunes or other podcatching software to subscribe. If you still don’t know how to do this they have a “How To Subscribe” page.
The program is a call-in that features a different analyst or advisor each month who talks about the latest USDA Crop Report and takes questions from participating media. The length varies depending on how many questions are asked but will probably range from 15 to 30 minutes. This is the great thing about a podcast. There really are no limitations on length!
Irish Farm Broadcaster
One of the people I’ve come to know through IFAJ is Damien O’Reilly. He’s a farm broadcaster from Ireland. You can find him online at RTE Radio 1 with his show Farm Week.
Here he is at the recent IFAJ Congress in Norway interviewing dairy farmer Thors Jacobson. He’s got some other pictures online from the Congress.
I encourage all U. S. agricultural journalists to get involved with IFAJ. If you’re a member of AAEA then you already are automatically but even if you’re a member of LPC or NAFB or whatever, I’m sure they would welcome your involvement. It’s a great way to expand your horizons and learn from our counterparts around the world.
Biobased Products At The Pentagon
It’s nice to produce a ZimmCast from the office for a change. This week’s program has a little information on our current AgWired Survey and . . .
I also include an interview with Jacqueline Garmier, President, Renewable Lubricants. She was one of the exhibitors at last week’s Dept. of Defense Biobased Products event I worked at on behalf of the United Soybean Board.
I’m interested to know of your ideas for interviews for upcoming programs. Who would you like me to interview? What would you like me to ask them? Send me your suggestions and I’ll try to get it done.
Listen to this week’s program: ZimmCast 85 (11 min MP3)
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes.